Known Meaning
/nəʊn/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjIdentified as a specific type; famous, renowned.
adjAccepted, familiar, researched.
Sentence Examples
Seeing that you're not surprised, I think you must have known.
A known mistake is better than an unknown truth.
Seals have been known to exhibit aggressive behaviour towards swimmers.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The widely ____ actor from Hollywood won several major awards last year.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The famous actor is well ____ for his humanitarian work in several different countries around the world.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English knowen, from Old English cnāwen (past participle). Morphologically know + -n.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Being not knowne, some great persons in the pew I pretended to, and went in, did question my coming in."
— 1664 April 3 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “March 25th, 1664 (Lady day)”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys […], volume IV, London: George Bell & Sons […]; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1894, →OCLC, page 85:
"As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels. The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time."
— 2013 July-August, Stephen P. Lownie, David M. Pelz, “Stents to Prevent Stroke”, in American Scientist:
"The biological dereplication tool may identify major knowns in a mixture, but it may miss novel minor components."
— 2012, Thomas Dougherty, Antibiotic Discovery and Development, volume 1, page 39:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The widely ____ actor from Hollywood won several major awards last year.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The famous actor is well ____ for his humanitarian work in several different countries around the world.